CANDIDATES SPAR OVER LANDFILL.Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer In the first major confrontation among mayoral candidates in the April election, businessman Steve Soboroff Steve Soboroff (born August 31, 1948) is a real estate developer and president of Playa Vista. Mr. Soboroff is the Chairperson of the Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University. issued a stinging rebuke of City Attorney James Hahn For the Iowa politician, see . James Kenneth "Jim" Hahn (born July 3, 1950) is an American politician from the Democratic Party. He was the Deputy City Attorney (1975-1979), City Controller (1981-1985), City Attorney (1985-2001) and Mayor of Los Angeles, California over the Sunshine Canyon Landfill. Soboroff accused Hahn of hypocrisy and called on him to return a $1,000 contribution received for his re-election campaign five years ago from Browning-Ferris Industries Browning-Ferris Industries, or "BFI", is a licensed trademark of Allied Waste Industries, a North America waste collection company. Many local units of Allied Waste are still known as BFI in the markets they serve. , operator of the Sunshine Canyon Landfill in Granada Hills. Hahn gave ``his legal stamp of approval'' to reopening Sunshine in 1995 and ducked taking a stand when the City Council voted in 1999 to approve expansion into Granada Hills, Soboroff said. ``Jimmy Hahn is being cynical and hypocritical with his latest efforts to try to stop Sunshine Canyon Landfill,'' Soboroff said. ``He's just being a typical politician. He takes their money, and once the damage is done, he tries to become a crusader.'' Hahn's campaign issued a statement critical of Soboroff beginning a negative attack in the campaign. ``Steve Soboroff's charge is that of a desperate political candidate who doesn't have a record to stand on when it comes to helping residents fighting the Sunshine Canyon Landfill,'' the statement said. ``Jim Hahn has been working with the people of the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. to find real solutions to local concerns about the Sunshine Canyon Landfill's impact on the health and safety of neighboring communities.'' Hahn recently toured the landfill with area residents and has supported efforts to get a full-time monitor at the site as well as pledging to close all landfills if he is elected, the statement said. Soboroff disputed that contention. ``He had an opportunity to go along with residents and not allow Sunshine Canyon to reopen, but he said he couldn't comment because of pending litigation An action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute. When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation. . ``Now that the dump has been expanded, Hahn is claiming to be the No. 1 crusader against it.'' Soboroff shrugged off the accusation he was the first to begin a negative campaign. ``This isn't negative campaigning Negative campaigning is trying to win an advantage by referring to negative aspects of an opponent or of a policy rather than emphasizing one's own positive attributes or preferred policies. ,'' Soboroff said. ``This is sticking a line in the water and coming out with a 2,000-pound bass. He's like every other career politician. They whine and complain about what everyone else does and don't take responsibility.'' The Sunshine Canyon Landfill has been the source of debate for more than 20 years when efforts began to shut it down. That was done for several years until a sharply divided City Council last year approved its reopening this coming July. Hahn and Soboroff are two of the leading candidates in the race for mayor. The others are Councilman Joel Wachs Joel Wachs served for several terms as Los Angeles City Councilman for the 2nd district. He was first elected by defeating incumbent James B. Potter. While in office, Wachs chaired the Public Works Committee and vice-chair of the Environmental Quality & Waste Management , former Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa Antonio Ramon Villaraigosa (born Antonio (Tony) Ramon Villar, Jr. on January 23, 1953) is the mayor of Los Angeles, California. He is the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles since Cristobal Aguilar in 1872. , state Controller Kathleen Connell and Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Los Angeles. Villaraigosa and Wachs also have campaigned actively against the landfill's reopening. |
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